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In a team like Barcelona, it has to be more than just one player, or one individual, who makes the difference. However, history has shown us that the dependence on one single individual can drive a collective enterprise, such as a football club, to ruin. Manchester United; a club that epitomised glory in English football for about three decades, now look like a mere spectral presence of their illustrious past.
All this, because subsequent managers have not been able to emulate the success generated by one legendary manager: Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 2019-20 season has been catastrophic for Barcelona
The 2019-2020 La Liga season has been a topsy-turvy one for Barcelona, their worst since the solitary 2013-14 season when Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino was in charge of the club. There have been some near-catastrophic moments; for instance, when Barcelona lost 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, or when Aritz Aduriz’s spectacular late strike gave Bilbao the victory.
The 2-1 Copa del Rey final defeat on May 2019 was the death knell for Ernesto Valverde’s time at the club. Although, it has to be said that by completing the double over Celta Vigo by beating them home and away, they have emulated Tata Martino’s achievement. Maybe it is a bad omen for the Blaugrana because that 2013-14 season, Barcelona conceded the title on the last matchday against Atletico Madrid.
If Real Madrid continue to win their remaining games, Barcelona would again lose the title, despite being level on points. It is a bitter pill to swallow for most teams. Managerial changes midway through the season are almost never good in terms of building momentum and team spirit, and it shows in the case of Barcelona.
However, what comes across powerfully in all the Blaugrana’s performances is their overdependence on Lionel Messi. It is he who either has to score, or at least provide an assist.
Lionel Messi is the Sir Alex Ferguson of Barcelona
When Manchester United appointed Scottish manager Alex Ferguson from Aberdeen in 1986, much was expected of him. His most important time as a player came during his stint at Rangers Football Club, and as manager at Aberdeen he had proven himself to be a winner on the European stage.
In spite of a few underwhelming seasons in the beginning of his tenure, Ferguson went on to become the most important person in the history of Manchester United, surpassing the iconic status of Sir Matt Busby himself. It was during his reign that the English game saw a shift of power: Liverpool, so dominant during the 1980s, diminished in stature, and in their place, Ferguson forged a team of champions. In his autobiography Ferguson looks back at his own incredible journey with the following words:
Nearly three decades before this moment, I had walked through that tunnel and onto the pitch for my first home game, feeling nervous and exposed. I had waved to the Stretford End and been introduced from the centre circle as Manchester United’s new manager… -Ferguson, 2014, p.1
If Ferguson’s arrival at United was a momentous one, so was the arrival of Lionel Messi’s at Barcelona. It is remarkable how one good appointment can completely the change the fortunes of an institution.
Ferguson made Manchester United into a team of serial winners, wining thirteen Premier League titles, dislodging bitter rivals Liverpool from their ‘perch’ in the process, and two Champions Leagues titles. Arsenal and Chelsea, although successful in short intermittent bursts during his long reign, could not completely shake off United from the top spot.
Barcelona’s Messi dependence
Lionel Messi has been a similar presence in the case of FC Barcelona. The diminutive Argentine number ten has been an influential figure right from his outset in the first team. His hat-trick against Real Madrid in a 3-3 draw, scoring the late equaliser proved be the beginning of what has been, and still continues to be, an astonishing career. Messi is now just a goal shy of scoring 700 times for both club and country.
However, the problem lies not with Messi’s performances, but with the worrisome reliance the club as a whole has shown on just one individual. This is quite similar to Ferguson at United, despite the Scotsman only dictating play from the sidelines.
Playing his first match as a 33-year-old against Celta Vigo last night, his lofted free-kick-pass in the 20th minute led to a Luis Suarez headed goal. The inventiveness Messi showed is remarkable, proving his genius once again. The second goal of the night, scored once again by Luis Suarez, also came from an assist by the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Messi is in the twilight of his career, and it is worrying for Barcelona. Subsequent Manchester United managers have failed to replicate the panache of Sir Alex Ferguson. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho all proved underwhelming, even though the Portuguese Mourinho did manage to finish second in the league and clinch the Europa League title. Still, it was not the brand of football Manchester United fans have been used to for the last thirty years. The Old Trafford club is still finding its feet back under Ole Gunner Solskjaer, seven years after the departure of the Scotsman.
As Messi’s day of retirement looms closer, a similar trajectory is feared at the Nou Camp. Messi has scored 440 goals for Barcelona so far, a club record, and he has already been hailed the greatest player in the history of football by most experts. Barcelona will thoroughly miss the Argentine’s services, as any club obviously would. However, they do not seem to be taking the adequate measures required to counter the absence of Messi in the near future.
Just as Sir Alex Ferguson's departure ended the dominance of Manchester United in the Premier League, so could the situation repeat itself in Spain after the retirement of Messi at Barcelona.
Barcelona’s lack of support for young players
It was encouraging to see Riqui Puig start the game against Celta Vigo. The youngster has earned his place in Barcelona manager Quique Setien’s plans and the La Masia graduate has repaid his manager’s faith once more. Ansu Fati was at his usually high standards, looking very threatening whenever he touched the ball. His quick, incisive runs caused problems for the Celta defence all evening, before he was substituted.
Setien should have shown more faith on Ronald Araujo, a young player who impressed during his performance at Mallorca, the first game after the post-pandemic restart. Barcelona’s treatment of their other players Carles Alena and Caeles Perez has been nothing short of an abomination. Instead of sending them on loan spells at Real Betis and AS Roma respectively, they could have been used in the first team, especially now in the post-pandemic season where the fixtures are coming thick and fast.
The current board led by Josep Maria Bartomeu has shown itself to be inadequate to rise to the levels expected of a club such as Barcelona. All their decisions have hurt the club, from player signings and financial management to managerial choices and youth transfer policies.
In fact, reports have emerged that Barcelona are planning to cut their scouting network in half to financially recoup the losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is another catastrophic decision from the board, because a strong network of observant and committed scouts are instrumental in supplying a football club with quality players. The club’s most important player Lionel Messi himself was picked up through persistent efforts by Carles Rexach.
In a nutshell, Barcelona fans must prepare for difficult seasons in the near future, with even trophy-less seasons a possibility. This is another Manchester United, or worse, AC Milan situation waiting to happen.
